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Clear-blue waters of Lake Tahoe
ADOBE STOCK
CALIFORNIA & NEVADA
Lake Tahoe
Experience the beauty of a sparkling gem with shores in two Western states.
By Laura Del Rosso
Lake Tahoe’s clear-blue waters and tree-lined beaches set amidst the snowcapped peaks of the Sierra Nevadas at 6,224 feet above sea level provide a breathtaking scene that inspired Mark Twain to declare it “the fairest picture the whole earth affords.” Straddling the border between California and Nevada, North America’s largest alpine lake formed 25 million years ago in a valley that sank between faults as mountains rose. Water rushed into the basin, creating the second-deepest lake in the United States. Later, Ice Age glaciers carved granite walls along some of its 72 miles of shoreline.
Emerald Bay
Today, summer sees visitors boating, waterskiing or wading into cool waters so amazingly clear that you can see to depths of 70 feet or greater. Several fine-grain sand beaches cozy up to the lake, ensuring excellent beach days for families and friends. Desire a break from the pristine strands? Take a day hike along the Tahoe Rim Trail, which, while higher in the mountains, provides panoramic views of the lake below. The shoreline Rubicon Trail passing glacier-formed Emerald Bay—named for its dazzling blue-green water—is another stunning walk that hugs the lake and winds beneath towering sugar pines, firs and aspens.
Ski slopes above Lake Tahoe
In winter, visitors flock to powdery slopes rising above Lake Tahoe for world-class skiing and snowboarding. The runs often feature sweeping views of the 22-mile-long lake that fits its nickname, “Lake of the Sky.”
If you are planning a trip to Lake Tahoe, visit AAA.com/Travel.
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